Albany Gathering for Peace held on Japanese atomic bombing anniversary reflects on current Gaza conflict

The sound of humming drifted from Albany Town Square on Saturday as more than 150 people holding Palestinian flags and posters gathered to reflect on the price of global peace, both past and present. Co-organiser Simone van Hattem said the Albany Gathering for Peace was originally planned to raise awareness for the situation in Gaza, before a significant date of another conflict encouraged them to widen the scope. “I wanted to do something, especially for the Palestinians being starved and bombed, but when we looked at the date, we realised it was the 80th anniversary of the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki where more than 250,000 people died,” she said. “We thought it would be good and come together well, because we don’t just care about the lives of Palestinians, we care about peace more broadly for that region and other parts of the world. “We think it resonated very well with people because it was well-attended.” The event followed massive anti-war demonstrations in Sydney and Melbourne on August 3, though Ms van Hattem said organisers were not aware of the large-scale Eastern States events in their planning. “In the running of this event we were going on the theme of think global, act local,” she said. “We know that what is happening in Gaza didn’t start in October 2023, but now that it has intensified, I do feel that as Australians and through our Government we can make a difference. “Events and actions like this do change what the Government does politically. “One of the best ways we can help is having influence on friends and family and local politicians, using our own wealth and privilege to make an impact on places in the world that aren’t doing as well as we are.” Menang Noongar woman Rachel Colmer led a meditative hum for peace, while co-organiser and poet Yann Toussaint read a poem about Hiroshima. After listing all ongoing international conflicts and genocide museums he would never wish to visit again, the third co-organiser Jon Doust, who himself lived on the Gaza border in the 1970s, read a poem penned by his lifelong Israeli friend Schmulik Zur, titled The Skin Clinic. “He is an inspiration to me,” Mr Doust said. “It’s a hopeful poem that I read of his. “His kibbutz was invaded by Hamas and after this, lots of people would turn to hate, but Schmulik, in the mark of true human, he never stopped caring for his friends in Gaza, never stopped caring for his friends in the West Bank, never stopped caring for his kibbutz family. “It is so easy to give up hope, but people keep it up, they want children to have clothes and food but also hope, play and entertainment and books to read.” Alongside advocating for peace, the gathering provided attendees with ideas of where to directly support victims of the conflict. “We gave a range of options for humanitarian aid organisations to donate to, directly donating to families that people know that are affected as well as organisations working on lasting justice and peace,” Ms van Hattem said. Humanite, Watermelon Kitchen Systems, Standing Together and Hind Rajab Foundation were donation sources touted by the group.